


A Little Welding Never Hurt

by evilwriter37



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Amputation, Burns, Gen, Injury, Severe Injury, Whump, armorwing, hiccup!whump, writing prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 05:49:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15308805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilwriter37/pseuds/evilwriter37
Summary: Based off of a whump prompt on tumblr. Hiccup tries to befriend the Armorwing, and it's all going well until his prosthetic falls off and the dragon tries to help and weld it back on.





	A Little Welding Never Hurt

Hiccup cautiously approached the Armorwing, left hand outstretched. The dragon flicked its tail in agitation, snapped out at him, and Hiccup jumped back.

“Whoa, whoa! It’s okay! It’s me! Remember me? I helped you!”

“Yeah, and we also got it attacked by Singetails,” Snotlout said, folding his arms, and Hiccup looked to him with a roll of his eyes.

“Snotlout, the Flyers would have come after the Armorwing anyway,” Hiccup explained. “You know, because of the Dragon Eye lens.” He stepped away from the dragon, closer to his friends, who were in the bushes. He rubbed at his chin. “Maybe he’s afraid because there’s so many people around.”

“Hiccup, what are you suggesting?” Astrid asked.

“Maybe if I was given some time alone with him, he’d-”

“Uh-uh,” Fishlegs said, stepping forward. “No way, Hiccup. This dragon’s not tame in any way.”

Toothless made a rumbling noise as if in agreement, nudged Hiccup in the side.

“Look, guys, I know what I’m doing,” Hiccup assured them. “I trained a Night Fury after all.”

“Really, Hiccup? You’re gonna bring that up?” Tuffnut questioned. 

“I mean, yeah.” Hiccup scratched at his head. “Look, what else do you want me to do?”

“Maybe leave the dragon alone,” Ruffnut said. “We don’t have to train it. We can just leave it scrap metal and go.”

“And get scorched in the process?” Hiccup asked, folding his arms, jutting out one hip. “No way. I’m doing this, okay? And besides, what if I can actually train it? Wouldn’t that be cool?”

Snotlout sighed in defeat. “Have fun losing another limb.”

“Great.” Hiccup wasn’t going to let anyone else argue with him. “So the rest of you take Toothless, and uh, go check out the island, I guess.”

“Shouldn’t we at least leave Toothless with you?” Fishlegs seemed nervous.

“He’ll just freak out the Armorwing,” Hiccup pointed out, gesturing to the dragon behind him. “Guys, I’ll be fine.”

There was grumbling from everyone, but no one actually spoke a word of dissent. Toothless rumbled too, and Hiccup had to give him a little shove, but eventually, he was going in the direction of the rest of the Dragon Riders.

“Okay, so how do you want to do this?” Hiccup asked the Armorwing. He spread his arms, gesturing around him, taking a step forward. The dragon didn’t seem as nervous as before. “We’re alone now, so-”

He paused as the Armorwing actually came towards him, lowered his head, and Hiccup realized that he was sniffing at his prosthetic. Then the dragon was twisting his head to look at his own back, which was coated in mismatched pieces of metal.

_ Sweet. Something to relate to. _

“Yeah, see?” Hiccup stuck out his prosthetic, let the dragon get a closer look at it. “We’re a little similar.”

The Armorwing moved its head in a slight nodding motion, flapped its wings, looking happy, and Hiccup smiled. He was glad he was getting through to this dragon. He wasn’t going to try reaching his hand out again just yet though.

The Armorwing made what could definitely be interpreted as a happy sound at him, then loped off towards one of the piles of scrap metal they had left for him. He excitedly grabbed a sheet of Gronckle Iron in his teeth, and brought it back over to drop it at Hiccup’s feet.

Hiccup laughed. “Thanks, but I just need the metal on the one part of me.”

The dragon didn’t understand, nudged at the sheet with his nose.

“I’m all good. That’s for you.” Hiccup picked up the metal, and the Armorwing let him around to his side, watching him the whole time. He stuck it between two other pieces of metal so that it would be able to hold on its own, then took a step back. “See?”

Hiccup had to turn his head away and put an arm over his eyes as the Armorwing welded on the piece. After a moment or two, that same arm was being playfully nudged.

“Okay, big guy, you wanna play?” Hiccup went over to one of the piles, bent to sift through it, and a tail to his rear suddenly had him losing his balance and falling into it. He was lucky most of the metal was dull, or he could have cut himself. He knew he couldn’t get angry though. The dragon was just playing.

Hiccup sat up in the pile, laughing to show the Armorwing he was okay with this. The dragon made a chortling sound in return, flapped its wings, and tramped around the pile before coming around to face him again. Then he nudged at the pile, shifting a piece closer to Hiccup, looking at him as if he wanted him to do something with it.

“Hold on.” Hiccup stood, held out his hand. “You think I’m a baby Armorwing, don’t you?”

Of course, the dragon made no indication that he understood his words, but he came forward and pressed his snout against his hand, and Hiccup smiled. He was getting somewhere with this dragon, and all because he had to have metal attached to his leg.

_ Who thought that would come in handy? _

Hiccup stepped from the pile, and suddenly the Armorwing bounded backwards, but not in a nervous kind of way. He was wriggling his body, looking excited.

“Oh, you definitely want to play.”

Hiccup lunged after the dragon, who ran off into the trees. He would stop and turn to let Hiccup catch up, and then take off again when he was almost close enough to touch him. He knew he was faster than him and was at least giving him a chance, exactly what a parent dragon would do with one of its young. Hiccup was filled with amusement at that, and he was laughing while playing with the dragon, which had him quickly running out of breath. He had to stop and bend over with both hands on his knees to take a breather.

The Armorwing came over to him, seeming disappointed that he was no longer playing.

“J-just have to catch my brea- whoa!” Hiccup was suddenly on his back with the dragon nuzzling and licking over his abdomen. He playfully batted and kicked out at it, trying to catch his breath while still laughing at the same time.

There was a little clang as his prosthetic suddenly came loose and fell to the ground. The dragon hurriedly backed away, made a concerned noise in his throat.

“No, no, it’s okay!” Hiccup sat and retrieved his prosthetic. “It goes back on. Guess I just didn’t fasten it well enough.” He got to work on attaching the prosthetic back to the stump of his leg. Once it was fastened, he outstretched his leg to the Armorwing to let him look. “See?”

The Armorwing opened his mouth, and Hiccup barely had time to realize what he was in for before there was a blinding flash of light and pain like nothing he’d ever felt. He was knocked onto his back by the white-hot agony, and it easily coaxed an anguished bellow from his throat. He curled onto his side, went to grab at his leg and somehow stop the pain, but his hands came in contact with scorching metal and he was screaming again. He was blinded by panic and pain, not quite sure what had just happened to him. He was still shouting, clutching at his knee despite the burns on his hands, and bringing it to his chest. The stump of his leg was being battered by waves of flame that threatened to take him from consciousness with each collision. Hiccup rolled desperately on the ground, shrieking, wanting it to  _ stop _ . Someone had to make it stop!

Hiccup clawed at his prosthetic, having enough of his mind to realize that that’s what the problem was with. His fingers were seared with the contact but it was nothing in comparison to the pit of lava his leg had been shoved into. He couldn’t get a strong enough hold to just tug it off of himself, and he didn’t know how he still had enough air to scream. The pain was increasing second by second, and he wasn’t coherent enough to figure out why. He opened his eyes, tears streaming down his face, but his world was speckled with black spots that made everything incomprehensible. 

A tidal wave of torment crashed into him, and he was swept into the blackness of unconsciousness.

  
  


The burning hand of a giant yanked Hiccup up by the left leg and pulled him from the depths and comfort of unconsciousness. He groaned despairingly, tried to fight off that hand, that pain, wanting nothing more than to return to the peaceful blackness where there was no suffering. His floundering was useless though, and the pain just increased, and it was pounding like a hammer on an anvil, and his leg was the molten metal in between.

There were cool hands on his face, familiar ones.

“Astrid,” he rasped out. He felt too weak to even open his eyes, but he knew that that was who was with him.

“Hiccup, you’re gonna be alright. Just don’t move, okay?”

“Wh-what happened?”

“The Armorwing got you.”

“One.” That was Snotlout’s voice. The rest of his friends must have been there. What were they counting for?

Hiccup moaned, turned his head, and Astrid smoothed sweaty hair from his face.

“Two.”

The counting. What was with the counting? And gods, could someone just make it stop  _ hurting  _ already?!

“Hiccup, you’re going to be just fine,” Astrid told him soothingly.

“Three.”

Tugging on the torch that was his left leg, excruciating pain assaulting him. Hiccup shrieked, writhed and thrashed. What were they doing to him?!

“Stop! Stop it!  _ Sto-op! _ ” Hiccup roared. The tugging lessened, but the pain didn’t, and Thor, couldn’t someone just make it go away? He felt like his leg was being cooked. He gasped for breath, sobbed, letting his head fall back into Astrid’s lap. No one said anything, and he felt like he was drowning and suffocating in a river of lava. After a struggle, he was able to drag his head out.

“What’s going on?”

“You’re just burned really badly, Hiccup,” Astrid answered, stroking her fingers through his hair.

“Th-the tugging.” He didn’t understand. If it had just been a bad burn, then what were his friends trying to accomplish?

“Just a bad burn,” Astrid told him again, and his friends all made sounds of agreement.

Hiccup didn’t believe them for a second. He found the strength to lift his head and open his eyes, and what he saw had him teetering on the edge of fainting. His prosthetic was badly bent and twisted, the wooden part of it seemingly gone, but the metal continued past that, up his now mostly bare leg like a poorly made boot of iron. It stopped just beneath his knee, but the burned flesh didn’t. It was all reddened and blistered like badly cooked meat, and it took Hiccup a few moments to realize that that horror was attached to him. Dizziness washed over him and his head fell back into Astrid’s lap, his eyes sliding closed.

“Oh gods,” he breathed. “I-it’s welded onto me. Get it- get it off.”

“That’s what we’re trying to do, H,” Tuffnut explained. “And then you told us to stop.”

“Yeah, ’cause it hurts like Hel.” Hiccup didn’t know how he was even talking. He just wanted to be screaming, but his voice was hoarse from doing so earlier.

“I don’t know if us removing it here is a good idea,” Fishlegs said. “I don’t think we’re exactly qualified to deal with this.”

“Then cut it off.” It came out of Hiccup’s mouth before he even had the time to think about it. But then he realized what he’d said, and he instantly wanted to take it back. Though, was there a way for that to come off without taking another piece of his leg with it?

“Guys, we should just get him back to Berk,” Ruffnut pointed out. “We’re not qualified to do  _ anything _ , and, Hiccup, if we take your advice you’re gonna be bleeding out in no time.”

“D-don’t take my advice.” Another sobbed worked its way up his throat and he let it release. “I just… I just want the pain to stop.”

“Tuff, do you have any of those weird herbs with you?” Snotlout asked.

“Excuse me? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Tuffnut sounded offended.

“Tuffnut, we all know you use drugs,” Astrid said in exasperation. “So don’t waste time with us. They could help with the pain. Do you have any with you?”

“What? You think I just carry them on my person?”

There was a scuffle, a yelp from Tuffnut, and a victorious cry from Ruffnut.

“Got ’em. The dunderhead keeps some in his pocket.”

“Thanks for telling everyone where my stash is, Ruff,” Tuffnut growled out.

“Oh Thor, just shut up and give it to me,” Hiccup pleaded. 

“Well, usually I make them into a tea-”

“We don’t have time for that!” Astrid exclaimed. “Hiccup, open your mouth.”

He was quick to comply, desperate for anything that would help him. The leaves were quickly put into his mouth and he chewed them as fast as his weak state would allow. He hated the taste, but that didn’t matter. He wished their effects would kick in the instant he swallowed, but of course he swallowed and there was nothing. He was stuck like this for the time being.

In the absence of talking to keep him distracted, Hiccup dissolved into tears, and once he was gone like that, no amount of talking from his friends could bring him back from the haze of pain. He floundered for their voices, to bring back his focus, but it sounded like they were speaking to him through a wall.

After some time, a buzzing sensation took over his body, and it felt like his leg almost went numb. He muttered a quick thank you before he fell once again into darkness.

  
  


Hiccup’s left leg ached upon waking, but the pain was nothing compared to what it had been the last time he’d been awake. Time had passed. He knew that. He also knew he was in a different place.

Terror clenched at his gut. This was all too familiar to him, too much like that time three years ago, waking up after the battle with the Red Death. He jolted up, breathing hard. He went to throw his blankets off of him, finding himself in his bed on Berk, but it wasn’t as easy as he’d expected - his hands and fingers were bandaged.

Shaking a little now, Hiccup pulled the blankets back and looked at his left leg. Tears welled in his eyes. He felt like there were chains around his chest and something in his throat. 

He didn’t have a knee anymore. His leg just ended at his thigh. All he  _ had  _ was a thigh. It was bandaged tightly and neatly, and he knew he shouldn’t touch it, but his fingers fell on it to undo it anyway.

A cooing noise and a nudge on his arm. Hiccup lowered his hands from what was now even more of a stump, looked to Toothless, jaw clenched tightly, lower lip trembling. He wanted to cry, scream, throw a fit over the fact that this was happening to him again.

“Toothless.” He uttered his name desperately, and his voice came out breathlessly, high-pitched and in a panic. He grabbed onto his dragon, his friend, bowed his head against his, and let the sobs come gushing out of him.

Hiccup wasn’t in as much physical pain now, but what hurt the most, was that this was his fault. Entirely his fault. He’d been so insistent about being left alone with the Armorwing. He’d just wanted to make a connection with the dragon, and now he was left like this.

Hiccup didn’t feel any anger towards him. That was all directed at himself: a deep-set fury that smoldered with nowhere to go. The dragon had been doing what he thought was best. It had been Hiccup’s fault to put himself in that situation in that first place. He regretted it. He regretted it so badly it was like the feeling was carving out his stomach. He wanted to turn back time and change all of his actions that led up to that. He’d hated not having part of his leg, but he at least wanted what he had had of it back. Now he was left with hardly anything. Thor, how was he going to walk? He was just going to end up limping around on a stick and become pathetic and useless.

Toothless rumbled from deep in his chest, pressed himself against him harder, and Hiccup was grateful for that. It broke him from his spiral of despairing thoughts, and he realized that no matter what, even if he couldn’t ever walk right again, he could still fly. He wouldn’t let anyone or anything take that away from him, and that included himself and his own stupid accidents. 

Hiccup was finally able to stop crying, and he heaved in deep breaths, still holding onto Toothless.

“I’m sorry, bud, I’m sorry.”

Toothless made a sound as if questioning his apology, and Hiccup didn’t know how to explain to him that it was his fault. He was probably blaming the Armorwing.

Hiccup laughed a little for some reason. “Guess I’ll have to be more careful, huh, bud?” He released Toothless, looked him in the eye, and his friend warbled.

Hiccup scratched him on the head. “No more welding accidents from me. I promise.”


End file.
